


A Sigh Worth One Hundred Words

by BangtanLuv9394



Series: Oneus/Onewe University AU [2]
Category: ONEUS (Band), ONEWE (Band)
Genre: A/B/O, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Break Up, College AU, Getting over a Relationship, M/M, Past!leedo and seoho, Rebound, University AU, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:29:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28306083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BangtanLuv9394/pseuds/BangtanLuv9394
Summary: Geonhak is still trying to get over his break-up with the love of his life when a young beta asks him out on a date.
Relationships: Kim Geonhak | Leedo/Son Dongju | Xion
Series: Oneus/Onewe University AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2073201
Kudos: 37





	A Sigh Worth One Hundred Words

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first story in the one-shot series! This sorta sets up some other one-shots to come!

Geonhak sighed for what felt like the one hundredth time that day as he slid a cup of black coffee to the customer before greeting the next one with a forced smile. It wasn’t like he was having a particularly difficult day—in fact, his day would seem pretty good to most people. His morning Childhood Development class was canceled, he aced his equity quiz, and the tip jar at the little cafe he worked at was overflowing with larger bills than normal. The problem was just Geonhak himself. 

Sighing again, he added some coffee beans to the grinder, getting ready to prepare a hot caramel macchiato for the woman who sat down at the window seat to watch the snow. It was February, and the snow was starting to come down pretty hard with how cold it had been recently. So many people had been flooding into the small cafe Geonhak worked at, trying to escape the unusually chilly weather. He sighed again. 

“Alright, what’s going?” Harin, his coworker, asked, adjusting the apron that was wrapped around his waist. “That’s the billionth time you sighed since being here and your shift only started an hour ago.” 

The cafe was emptying out as the morning time rush ended. Once he handed the caramel macchiato to the woman, it left the two workers mainly alone with a couple teenagers playing hooky in the corner of the cafe and an elderly women, sipping some warm citrus tea. Geonhak ignored the main question, wiping the main counter down, “My shift actually started an hour and a half ago.”

Harin rolled his eyes, patting the other’s back gently. He was always like this, kind and gentle—Geonhak met him during his first year of university when he got hired at the small cafe. Even though Harin was still in high school back then, he always had this mature, calm nature about him. Most of their friends would go to him or Kanghyun if they had any qualms and needed advice—especially love advice. Geonhak sighed, “it’s just.... today would have been mine and Seoho’s third year anniversary if we hadn’t... well, yeah.” He stopped wiping the counter, looking off towards nothing in particular. 

“How long has it been, Geonhak? Five months? Six?”

He suppressed his sigh this time. It had been exactly five months two weeks and three days since he broke up with Seoho. It was the most difficult thing he had ever done in his twenty-one years of life. It wasn’t that he fell out of love... but Seoho had just been so busy... He was smart, living off of a fully paid scholarship and millions of won worth of grant money, but that also came with constantly being busy. When they first started dating, it was easy. They spent their lunches together, squeezed in a five minute make out session between a few of their classes if they crossed paths, and they always saved time on Sundays to have a date night. 

Things changed when Seoho entered his doctorates. Geonhak had been so proud of him for getting so far while being so young—he even skipped grades. The two moved into a small apartment together, knowing that Seoho would be more busy than usually, but living together would give them more time. However, it somehow didn’t. The lunches they had together ended. The five minute make out sessions turned into unread texts. Their Sunday dates nights became more frequently canceled until they became non-existent. Geonhak tried to be understanding; Seoho was busy with his degree, but he could only handle so much. He kept trying to talk about it, and they kept planning days and times... but they always got pushed back due to Seoho’s busy schedule. He finally had enough. 

So five months, two weeks, and three days ago, he ended it all. Seoho moved out the next day, not even saying goodbye when he slammed the door in his face. 

The cafe was now empty, Harin quietly rubbing his back in comforting circles as he thought about Seoho. Geonhak never stopped loving him, but he couldn’t handle not being loved in returned. This time, he let out the sigh. “I know I should be over it by now... it’s just hard.” 

“I understand,” Harin said, handing him a dirty glass to clean to keep him a bit busy while they spoke. “Despite what it might seem, Kanghyun and I weren’t always sunshine and rainbows. We had our fair share of arguments and fights when we first started dating. So I understand the pain of breaking up, but not everyone gets as lucky as me to get back together.” He glanced at him. “I think maybe you just need to have a rebound. Get your mind off him for a bit.” 

“A rebound? I don’t know, Harin...” Geonhak had always been a hopeless romantic at heart. He loved planning dates, getting little gifts, buying flowers, and slowly falling in love. The thrill of devoting time and effort in getting to know someone was one of his favorite feelings. He’d never had a one night stand in his life, and he always dated with the intention of a relationship. Rebound usually implied temporary... 

“Look, you’re attractive; you’re an alpha. How many people have asked for your number this week?” 

Geonhak blushed, “I... I don’t know...” 

“It was six. Six people asked for you number this week,” Harin put his arm around his shoulder. “You’re a catch, Geonhak. The only thing holding you back right now is you. Even if nothing happens, it’ll be good for you to get yourself out there again. You might not meet the person you’ll be with forever, but you’ll at least be trying.” 

Geonhak pursed his lips, hanging the mug on one the hooks above the counter, “I don’t know. I’ll consider it.” 

“I’m just saying...”Harin shrugged, looking up as the door rang as a customer entered before whisper to him. “Maybe consider giving your number out the next time a cute guy or girl asks for it.” 

“Yeah yeah,” he brushed the other off, controlling his expression with a deep breath before smiling and greeting their customer. It was a group of girls, giggling when they saw the two men behind the counter. They were in high school, and he could tell by their uniforms that they came from the prestigious all omega high school that was a few blocks away. They smelled sickly sweet, and it made him want to scrunch up his nose. He couldn’t stand overly sweet smells. 

The girls quickly ordered, giggling and shameless trying to flirt with him. He kept his face rather blank, with only a forced, polite smile on his face. Geonhak thought that was the end, but a familiar face was waiting behind the group of girls. A small smile—a real smile—danced on his lips at the boy who stepped forward. “Good morning, Dongju. Your usual?”

Dongju smiles with his cherry red lips, nodding his head. The boy had a soft sweet smell coming off from him, and it was gentle enough that Geonhak didn’t want to gag—especially after the group of girls. The young boy came into the coffee shop every Tuesday and Thursday morning—Geonhak figured he must not have morning classes those days, but he never actually asked—and he always ordered an iced americano with a chocolate scone. Since he was a regular, he often chatted with him and Harin, asking how their days were and wondering about their hobbies. Geonhak always found it funny that Dongju was so inquisitive about his life when it should be the opposite, but, nevertheless, he always enjoyed the other’s company at the cafe. 

“One chocolate scone,” Harin cheered, and handed it to Dongju who chatted for a bit while Geonhak moved around to clean off the tables that the group of teenagers left an absolute mess. The whole place had cleared out now except for their regular. When he turned back around, Dongju was behind him, eyes wide. 

“Oh, sorry,” Geonhak muttered, smiling a bit shyly. “Do you need something? Was there not enough syrup in the americano?” 

“Oh no, it was perfect. Like always,” Dongju looked down, biting his lip before glancing up at Geonhak from beneath his long lashes. He was momentarily stunned by how beautiful and deep the younger boys sparkling eyes were, but he swallowed down the thought. Of course, Geonhak was aware Dongju was handsome—he wasn’t blind. “I was actually wondering... if you were free this Saturday?” 

Geonhak felt like his eyes were going to bulge from his head. He honestly hadn’t expected it—Dongju had been coming to the cafe for months now and never seemed to show him any favoritism towards him. The boy always spoke to both him and Harin, smiling and laughing like he had no cares in the world. Guilt washed over him, and he gestured for Dongju to sit across from him, sighing softly. “I’m... I’m flattered, really. You’re a really good looking guy....”

“But?” Dongju hummed, not really seeming surprised at where this was going. He sipped his Americano, waiting for him to finish. 

“This is going to sound stupid, especially coming from an alpha...” Geonhak sighed, finally deciding to just get it out. He felt like he knew the younger well enough to at least be honest instead of giving some lie about being too busy. “I just can’t date omegas.”

Dongju blinked, entire body frozen in place. His straw was still in his mouth, “What?” 

“I know, weird coming from an alpha? I just... sweet scents make me feel ill. I can’t stand being around them for too long. I can deal with friends because I can at least put some distance or step out but,” He knew he was ranting, but he couldn’t seem to stop. “Being with someone... I could never help an omega with a heat. And that’s something I wouldn’t want to put someone through. I give my all when I date, and it would kill me to see my partner suffering. So I’m sorry. You’re a really nice guy, but I just can’t.” 

The other had his lips pursed, an emotion in his eyes that Geonhak couldn’t place. He felt guilty, even though he knew he was just being honest—though he also didn’t mention his aversion to dating since he lost the love of his life. However, he didn’t expect the laugh that came out of Dongju’s mouth. “Oh wow,” he laughed again, covering his mouth slightly. The boy pushed back his long dark hair, grinning brightly, dimples on display. “You think I’m an omega?” 

“You... aren’t?” 

He laughed again, shaking his head, “No, I’m a beta. You probably smell my twin brother. He’s an omega.” Just to prove his point, Dongju rolled up the sleeve of his jean jacket and held his wrist to Geonhak’s nose, so he could smell his bare skin. There was no scent at all apart from maybe some cologne—a definite sign of a beta. Alphas and Omegas had no use for cologne, so it was almost exclusively bought by betas. “Dongmyeong is always hugging me and stuff, so I guess his scent kinda rubbed onto me. It’s still pretty faint though, so I’m kinda surprised you couldn’t tell.”

“Oh,” was all Geonhak could manage to get out, honestly a bit surprised from the information. It wasn’t like he stereotyped people—he’s known plenty of omegas who weren’t stereotypically small and pretty—but combined with the soft sweet scent, Dongju pretty much screamed omega. His red lips, doe eyes, and longer hair just screamed pretty omega. 

“So, about that date then?” He pressed, a playful smile dancing on his lips as he played with the straw of his drink with his tongue. Geonhak was unsure if he was trying to be seductive or if he was genuinely being a bit air-headed. Maybe he has an oral-fixation.

“I...” he paused. There was really no reason to say no. Dongju was sweet, always asking how his day was and giving him encouraging words when he had particularly long days of work. His bright smile and deeper laugh was something he looked forward to each week. The only reason he could think of was Seoho—he still loves him deeply, and the pain of their break-up still hadn’t faded. Harin’s advice rang in his ear, and maybe it was just his luck that it happened to be this boy that asked him next. Maybe he did need to try. “You know what, let’s do it.”

Geonhak finally said with a small smile, taking the first step to getter over Lee Seoho. 

————————————————————————

“I heard you have a date Saturday,” Youngjo said with a bite of cheese pizza shoved into the cheek of his mouth. Geonhak had just barely sat down with his own tray—kimchijigae with a side of steamed rice—at the small table in the corner of the student union area. It was loud and bustling, people talking so loud all around him that he was honestly surprised he heard the older so well. 

“How the hell do you know that?” He pulled his spoon out of the paper wrapping, “That literally happened this morning.” 

“Harin told Kanghyun, who told Keonhee, who told Hwanwoong, who told me.” 

“Nothing is secret in this friend group,” Geonhak grumbled, trying to ignore the other who just patiently waited for him to acknowledge the date. “Fine. I have a date. Sorta... he’s a beta. Probably goes to school here. Name’s Dongju.” 

Youngjo froze, pizza half in his mouth as his eyes widened. He pulled the pizza out, ignoring Geonhak as he groaned at how gross it was, before he slammed his hand on the table. “Dongju? As in Son Dongju? Dark hair, sparkling eyes, and red lip Dongju? Are you kidding me?” 

“W-what? You know him?”

Youngjo rolled his eyes, “How can you not? He’s infamous. His mother own’s this college.” Geonhak’s eyes widened at the piece of news. He always figured that Dongju was a student, and that was why he was constantly in the area—he never thought he was the son of the owner of the entire college. “Him and his twin are famous here. They’re known to get what they want no matter what. So you should watch your back, because he wants you.” 

The alpha’s food was long forgotten, even though he had class soon, spoon resting empty in his hand. The other’s reaction surprised him. “Dongju’s so sweet though?” Thinking back on it, the young dark haired boy was always so kind to him and Harin. He even brought Geonhak medicine one day when he wasn’t feeling well, and Dongju treated Harin to samgyeopsal one day. 

“He’s not sweet!” The other gasped, brown hair falling into his eyes from beneath his bucket hat. He noticed someone across the way, behind Geonhak, and waved him over. “Yonghoon! Come here. You’re friends with the Son twins, right?” 

Yonghoon came over, dark hair slicked back and glasses sliding down his nose that were attached with a delicate chain. He had a tray of food—it looked like some fried rice—and a large satchel stuffed with student’s essays he needed to grade. “I don’t know if friends is the word, but I know them. Why?” 

“Geonhak has a date with Dongju.” 

“Oh, really?” The tall man was surprised—thought not as loud as Youngjo—taking the unoccupied seat next to his cousin before turning his wide eyes at the blond alpha who was becoming more and more irritated by this conversation. “Good luck then. You’ll need it.” 

“Why do you guys act like he’s going to drug and kill me?” He groaned in frustration. It was already hard enough for him to accept the boys invitation for a date in the first place, but now he was beginning to feel like maybe it was a mistake. Perhaps it still was too soon for him to begin seeing other people. 

Yonghoon chuckled, “Sorry, I guess I can explain a bit more since I know him better than Youngjo.” He broke open his chopsticks before glancing at his watch, seeing how much time he had before class. “Dongju and Dongmyeong aren’t really bad people. They’re nice to the people they like and care for, but if you get on their bad side... they can be quite unforgiving.” 

“And if you start dating him... and you say break up...” Youngjo dragged on, glancing at his phone when he received a text before looking back at his friend. “You just don’t want to get on his bad side. He’s not as sweet as he seems. This one guy he dated was absolutely destroyed when they broke up. I heard he had to leave the country.”

Geonhak picked up his spoon again, taking a bite of food while thinking. “Did you know the guy?” Yonghoon shook his head while Youngjo shrugged, mumbling something that sounded like ‘not that I can remember.’ The blond scrunched his nose at that, “So you guys are basing all of this on rumors?” Both were silent—Yonghoon seemed like he wanted to say more, but stayed quiet. “Listen, this was hard for me to do. I haven’t... I haven’t had a single date since Seoho. Let me just... try this with as little drama as possible.” 

Youngjo was the first to nod, reaching across the table to pat the other alpha’s hand. “I’m sorry, Geonhak. I didn’t mean to make it more difficult.” He gave a soft smile, “I think it’s amazing you’re giving someone a try. I know it’s been hard. I’m proud of you.”

Despite it all, Geonhak smiled at the other’s sincere words. “Thanks, Youngjo. Now lets eat. I have my Recreation and Leadership class in 10 minutes, and I’m pretty sure Yonghoon’s has to go teach his class soon.” 

————————————————————————

Saturday came quickly. Dongju had dropped by the cafe again on Thursday to give the alpha his phone number, so they could text when and where to meet up. It had been awhile since Geonhak had gone out with anyone other than Seoho, and he fretted over his outfit, wondering if he had too many buttons undone or if his blond hair was too messy. It was refreshing. The feeling of getting ready for a date with new possibilities and uncertainties on how well they’d get along had him buzzing with energy.. 

Taking one last glance in the mirror, he smiled before heading out towards the movie theatre they decided to meet at. It wasn’t the grand and intricate dates Geonhak used to plan for Seoho when they first began dating, but it was simple and safe for a first date. Dongju seemed excited to watch the movie, texting him in great detail how much he loved Disney, and the alpha couldn’t help but smile. Dongju was cute, and he texted with a billion emojis that had him smiling with each text. 

He didn’t think he’d be excited, but he found himself bouncing a bit with anticipation as he waited at the theatre for Dongju to arrive. Maybe it’s because he was handsome, or maybe it was because he was cute in how he spoke, or because Dongju was familiar, but whatever it is, Geonhak was glad. It felt good to finally get out, way better than he imagined it would be. A mental note was made to thank Harin for the advice. 

“Geonhak!” The blond looked over when he heard his name, smiling when he saw Dongju waving. His dark hair was split in the center, curling to frame his smokey eyes, and his lips were as red as alway. “You didn’t wait long, right?” 

He shook his head, smiling softly, “Not at all. We have about an hour before the movie, care to get some food?” The blond pointed across the street to a local samgyeopsal restaurant that had a few open seats outside, several heaters spread about to make the deck look appealing despite the cold weather. The younger seemed extremely excited about the idea, and they soon found themselves in one of those outdoor seats, samgyeopsal sizzling loudly on the grill, and laughing loudly as they chatted, just enjoying each other’s company. The heat of the grill helped keep them warm, but both still kept on their heavy coats, not wanting to get too chilly before the movie. 

“Should we order another round?” Dongju asked as he ate the last piece of samgyeosal that Geonhak had placed on his plate. Even though he didn’t answer, the beta was already calling over the waiter with a large smile. “It’s all-you-can-eat anyway, so let’s order more!” 

Geonhak chuckled, shaking his head lightly with a smile. The waiter, a young man with bright pink hair, came on over—his sweet scent washed over the alpha, making his frown slightly. Standing close to Geonhak, the waiter smile sweetly, “What can I get for you?” He addressed the alpha directly even though Dongju is the one that waved him over. 

“Um...” Geonhak looked down, deciding it was best to just ignore the waiter, who was getting closer to him. “Another round of samgyeopsal and a cola.” The waiter smiled, resting his hand on the blond’s bicep before moving to go get their order. He felt uncomfortable at the attention, especially while he was on a date with someone else. 

He was surprised when Dongju laughed, “You’re quite popular, aren’t you?” 

“I don’t know...” Geonhak blushed, looking down shyly. He knew he was a handsome man, but he always felt a bit shy when acknowledging it out loud. Having someone flirt in front of him while he was on a date with someone else wasn’t exactly something he wanted to discus in depth. 

“You looked really disgusted,” the beta laughed, lips forming an almost heart-like shape when he laughed. “They were cute; are you interested?” 

“Not at all,” Geonhak smiled, catching the other’s light a playful tone. He found himself speaking before even thinking, “I was hesitant to even take this date actually.” His eyes widened, looking at the others confused expression. Of course, that sounded bad. “I-I didn’t mean that to sound wrong!” 

“No, I understand. You thought I was an omega, right?”

“Well, yes... but,” Geonhak hesitated. He really didn’t know Dongju well, but things had been going great, so he found himself confiding in the other. “I just got out of a big relationship. Harin—you know Harin, right?—said that I should try getting out there more. When you asked, I almost said no... but, I decided to give it a chance.” 

Dongju took a sip of water, eyes filled with an unreadable emotion. “So,” he started, setting down the cup and looking directly into Geonhak’s eyes, “is this a rebound?”

“No,” he found himself saying quicker than he thought he would, the words just spilling from his lips. “I don’t do rebounds. I just... decided to have you be the first person I try again with. I want to give this a real chance.” 

Dontju smiled softly at the words, and the alpha swears the other’s cheeks flushed a brilliant red. He opened his mouth to speak, but the pink haired waiter slammed a tray of raw samgyeopsal down, cutting his words off. “Here you go, sweetie,” once again, he spoke directly to Geonhak, his cake-like scent sweet and strong. The alpha wanted to gag almost, face twisting.

“Thanks,” he dismissed the omega focusing back on his actual date, who had one eyebrow raised before busting out in laughter once the waiter left. 

“You really do hate sweet scents,” the beta gasped loudly, unable to hold in his chuckles. “Your face looked so disgusted! I thought you were going to puke for a second.” 

Geonhak couldn’t help but grin back, letting out his own chuckle. The other was taking someone flirting with his date surprisingly well. It was quite mature of him. “Oh, I have before. One of my friends,his name is Hwanwoong, went into heat while hanging out with me.” The alpha recalled the shitty old apartment he was staying in when Hwanwoong was still in high school—he hadn’t even begun dating Youngjo yet, though he was waiting patiently for him to return from traveling abroad. They hung out often during that time, developing an unlikely friendship. “His scent was so strong during heat. I tried to stay calm, and I called his parents, but it became too much. I ended up throwing up all over the carpet.” 

Dongju laughed loudly, covering his mouth slightly when he noticed a few people look at them. “Did you really?!” 

“I really did,” he smiled at the memory. It was embarrassing originally, but now it has become a somewhat fond memory. “You should have seen Hwanwoong’s parent’s faces when they busted into the apartment and found me trying to bleach the carpet while their son was crying in a corner. I felt so embarrassed!” 

They continued laughing, sharing stories from their childhood. Dongju shared a few stories himself, particularly sharing a lot about his twin brother since his mother was a bit more distant. He explained he could have anything he wanted, but couldn’t quite figure out how to get close to her. The waiter came over a few more times, briefly, but always left in a hurry when Geonhak didn’t pay him any mind. It wasn’t until it was time to get the check that things became complicated. The man stood close to the alpha again, setting down the check, purposely leaning over his body to set it down. 

“If you need anything else,” he drawled, licking his lips and pressing his side against Geonhak’s back. “You let me k—“

“He’s fine; you can leave,” Dongju cut him off, arms crossed and eyes narrowed in at the young omega waiter. Geonhak glanced over at him, not too bothered by the tone since the waiter was being quite persistent even though he was being clear that he was uninterested. It was surprising the other hadn’t snapped earlier. 

The waiter seemed intent on pushing it, completely ignoring Dongju, resting his hand on Geonhak’s shoulder, “I mean it. Anything you need, I can get it for you.” 

“You’re name is Lee Sangjun, right?” Dongju spoke up, the waiter finally casting him a glance when he was addressed by name. “You go to RBW University. Third year, Secondary Education major, correct?” 

“How... How did you know that?” The waiter, Sangjun, looked at the beta with wide eyes, stepping a bit away from the alpha.

“My name is Son Dongju.” Sangjun’s eyes widened even more at the name. “If I remember correctly, you have a scholarship, right? You’re in the volleyball team...” Dongju looked at his nails as he spoke, a small smile on his lips. “What a shame if that scholarship happened to... disappear.” 

“Please, you can’t!” Sangjun finally turned fully away from Geonhak, clasping his hands together. “My dad would kill me if I lost that scholarship. We can’t afford college on our own.” 

Dongju turned away from him, seemingly ignoring the waiter just like he had been doing all night. “Did you hear something, Geonhak?” 

The alpha was stunned silent at the scene before him, not exactly sure what to say. However the waiter was frantic, eyes filling with tears as he began to shake a bit. “P-please! I-I can’t lose that scholarship. You don’t understand... this scholarship meant everything to him. If I lose it, I can’t become a teacher. I-I won’t be a-able to get my family out of debt... Please. I’ll do anything.” 

Dongju finally glanced at the other, looking him up and down like he was sizing him up before clicking his tongue. “Beg.” 

“W-what?” The omega asked, blinking in almost disbelief, voice shaking. 

“I said beg. Get on your knees and beg for forgiveness.” He turned to the other, arms folded over his chest as he waited, eyes narrowing down with a sense of superiority. The omega hesitated before slowly falling onto his knees, hands clasped in front of him as he cried out in front of the other, tears pouring from his eyes. Dongju rolled his eyes, “You don’t need to apologize to me. You need to beg for Geonhak’s forgiveness for what you did.”

The sound of his name snapped him out of the shock, a twist of disgust filling his stomach. “Dongju, stop.” 

“No,” the beta said, looking confused at why he was stopped. “He should apologize for what he did!” 

Geonhak sighed, so this was what he was warned about. He ran his fingers through his hair, looking down at the poor omega who was on his knees, snot running out from his nose as he pleaded. “Please, get up. I’m sorry about that. Please give us a few minutes alone.” Sangjun wasted no time, scrambling up and running away from the two, and as soon as he was out of sight, the alpha turned towards the beta. “What the hell was that?” 

“What was what?” Dongju challenged, eyebrow raised. “He did something wrong, so he should have apologized.” 

“You can’t do that, Dongju,” Geonhak started folding up his napkin, squeezing it tightly as he tried to process everything. “You can’t just threaten to ruin someone’s life like that because they made you jealous. And I’m not your boyfriend, so you have no reason to be—“

“I was’t jealous.”

“Then why the hell did you do that?!” Geonhak knew his voice was raised, calling attention to them, but he couldn’t understand. Where was the sweet boy he was laughing with just a moment ago? And if it wasn’t jealousy that twisted him, what could have possibly made him turn on someone like that. 

“His scent;” the beta mumbled, softly, turning his head away like he was avoiding eye contact with the other. “Sweet scents make you sick, and he was standing so close... I didn’t want you to throw up your meal.” 

The blond blinked, arguments dying in his lips. Instead he let out a breathy, “You did that... for me?” It was hard to comprehend, and Geonhak lifted a finger to tell the other he needed a moment to think. In some weird, twisted, sick way, it was almost sweet. It wasn’t an act of jealousy, but instead, a way of Dongju showing he cared for his health. The tactics he used, however, were troublesome. He thought back to his conversation with Yonghoon, and how Dongju was sweet to those he cared for... but wouldn’t hesitate to destroy someone if they harmed them. “Okay...” Geonhak breathed out, rubbing his temples slightly. “Thank you for caring about my heath but—“

“You’re welcome.”

“BUT,” he emphasized it the second time, looking at the other who was still avoiding his eye contact. “You can’t do that, Dongju. It’s not right to threaten people like that.”

“Why not? They were going make you sick, so they should feel bad as well,” he responded, finally looking at the alpha. There was honest confusion in his eyes, head tilted slightly. “My mother always said that you need to protect people you care for, no matter who you tear down in the process.” 

It dawned on him then that Dongju really didn’t understand. The stories he was telling early, about the mischief he would cause with his twin were never met with reprimands—he was completely unaware. He spoke about how his mother was distant, but these must have been the few things he did learn from her, and he must have held onto those teachings. Without any other influence, how was he supposed to know... Geonhak sighed softly, reaching over to take Dongju’s hand, who brightened up a bit at the contact. “I get it... You weren’t raised in a way that taught you these things. Your mother used similar techniques?”

Dongju nodded, “My mother said it’s best to have dirt on as many people, so you can always be prepared if they betray you. That’s why I remembered the names of every student at the school, as well as their major and scholarships.” 

“And growing up, did you have any.. nannies or friends?”

“We didn’t have a nanny... and Giwook is our only real friend that we had as kids. My mom used to pay people to hang out with us, but we didn’t like them. 

“Okay,” he looked back at Dongju, his bright eyes and confused expression. Geonhak couldn’t really stay mad, not after understanding the situation. Dongju was raised to believe this was okay, and was surrounded by paid friends who probably would have only agreed with everything they did. There was no caring person to teach them right from wrong, and it made Geonhak sigh softly. “Okay,” he whispered again. “How about this, I’ll let you know when things aren’t okay. No more doing... that.” Dongju opened his mouth to protest, but Geonhak gently raised his hand to stop him. “I appreciate that you were looking out for me. That was sweet of you, but that is not okay. You can... I mean, you can be a little assertive, but you can’t make people beg on their knees for forgiveness after you threaten to take away their scholarship. It hurt that person and made me uncomfortable.” 

Dongju’s lips were pursed, but he nodded slowly. “I’ll... try.” He looked down, the tips of his ears turning red. “I just didn’t want you to puke.” 

“I get that;” he smiled softly, rubbing his thumb along the other’s hand. “And we’ll work on it, okay? I’ll help you.” The beta gave a slight nod, and Geonhak smiled. He wasn’t sure why, but he really did want to help Dongju—it genuinely wasn’t all his fault that he reacted in such a way. He glanced at the time, “Let’s head out so we can catch the movie.” 

His head snapped up eyes big, “You still want to go on the date with me?” 

Geonhak laughed lightly, nodding his head and offering the other his hand as he stood up. “Yeah, I do. I told you; I’m going to help you out. I don’t know what will come of this, but we’ll see. I’m still willing to try, but we can’t have things like that happen again.” 

Dongju broke out into a bright, beautiful smile, taking Geonhak’s hand and squeezing it. “Let’s go then!” 

The alpha wasn’t sure what the right decision was, but he wanted to try. It would have been easy to end things immediately and use this as an excuse as to why he should never date again, but he didn’t want to. Yonghoon had told him that Dongju wasn’t a bad person, per se, and Geonhak was starting to see what he meant. His intentions weren’t bad, but the methods were. And for some reason, he couldn’t just let Dongju continue living like that when a sweet, intelligent boy was there as well. The alpha had seen the boys innocent smile and genuine laughter—he couldn’t ignore that. It was also good to know that Dongju wasn’t perfect as well, because Geonhak wasn’t either. He was hung up on a beta that he broke up. 

So maybe they’d help each other a bit more than they originally thought they would.


End file.
